L’Eroica & Tuscany

Join us on a ride of historical proportions and take your chance to be part of one of the world’s greatest cycling events – L’Eroica (literally, ‘The Heroic’). Conceptualised in 1997, by the visionary Giancarlo Brocci, as a means of protecting Tuscany’s fabled ‘strade bianche’ (white gravel roads) from being paved, the ride can normally only be entered via a lottery system.

We have the good fortune of being able to get guaranteed entries. Our hosts for the tour – Elisa and Sandro – have long been involved with the event and have hosted Giancarlo on many occasions at their atmospheric agriturismo – Il Molinello. Situated in the heart of the Crete Senese and on the proverbial doorstep of the ‘strade bianche’ Il Molinello provides the perfect base for our tour.

In the lead up to the main event we will give you chance to acclimatise to the challenges posed by the strade bianche whilst also incorporating other elements such as a Brunello tasting and exploratory rides in cycling pearls such as Val d’Orcia and the Chiantigiana. On the day itself you can choose how ‘Heroic’ you want to be with 4 ride options available – 48km, 75km, 135km or 209km.

In terms of your steed for the rides in the lead up to the event you can choose. Bring your own, rent a ‘normal’ bike off us or spend the whole tour on a ‘vintage’ bike (either your own or rented from us).

For the Eroica the rules are that you must ride on a pre-1987 steel frame bike with ‘rat trap’ pedals, down tube shifters, and exposed cables, wearing woollen jerseys, and fuelled by decadent Italian food and wine! Vintage bikes are available if you do not own one.

Join us on this cycling odyssey leading up to what is known as the ‘most handsome race in the world’.

Team Members on this Tour

Dylan Reynolds - Owner and Guide

First cycling memory:Chaperoning my younger sister on the 4km ride to primary school every morning. My Mum would often follow in the car, out of sight, to check we were ok. It was my first experience of guiding!

Favourite bike:On tour I really like my Lynskey Sportive. In terms of pure aesthetics I’d go for anything from Look.

Top climb:Whist I have Mont Ventoux on my doorstep there are a number of climbs in the vicinity that I enjoy more. The Col de Murs in Provence is probably my favourite.

One thing on your bucket list:Bring the whole family on one of the Epics!

A special skill you bring on tour:I think I’m a bit of a jack of all trades from a guiding perspective having done it for over 20 years now. After all that time I guess my special skill is to be as passionate about guiding as I was when I first started.

Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:A Fiorentina steak washed down with a fine bottle of Brunello di Montalcino in San Gimignano on our Hannibal tour.

Languages:I’m also determined to improve my Spanish before we embark on a tour program in the Iberian peninsular.

Simone Scalas - Guide

First cycling memory:Since I was a child, the bike has been to me like a space shuttle to me, taking me to faraway places. When I was little there was a huge forest close to where I live in southern Sardinia and I used to explore this marvelous place for hours, always trying to get further and further away from home. My passion for bikes was probably born then.

Favourite bike:I love titanium bikes, and my Linksey is very sexy, but if I could pick the bike of my dreams it’d be a Crisp; a handmade and designed by Darren Crisp, an american architect that set his workshop up in Tuscany.

Top climb:The Col de Palmarella in western Corsica, offering great views over the ocean from the top. Plus is not that long, which helps :)

One thing on your bucket list:Get myself an Italian red Lancia Fulvia from '70, a classy and quintessentially elegant car.

A special skill you bring on tour:A bit of fun..and lots of jokes, of course. Watch out :)

Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:Any meal in Sicily. From street food to the most refined dinner, this place is always able to surprise my tastebuds.

One thing on your bucket list:Humanitarian photography trip to the Middle East

A special skill you bring on tour:Random (and often useless) facts, pretty handy with a Pappagallo (repeating verbatim what somebody else is saying) and an english sense of humour.

Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:Not a classic highlight given what it is - pork tripe sausage - but my experience of eating andouillette on our Provence tour will never be forgotten by me or any of those around me!

Eroica Bike Tour Dates & Prices

Supplements

> Single supplement – Our prices are based on twin/double occupancy. If you wish to have your own room then a supplement of €300 is applicable.

> Bike hire – If you don’t bring your own bike we can rent you both normal or vintage bikes. The cost of this is still to be confirmed but it is a supplementary cost if you require us to provide you with a bike.

> Wine kitty – On all of your tours we run a wine kitty system. This is very much an optional arrangement that ensures non-drinkers can be accommodated. The wine kitty is owned by the group and anything left over is divided up although this rarely happens!

To reserve a place on this tour you need to pay a deposit of €800 (or your local currency equivalent) – we can accept payment in GB£ and AU$ too. The final invoice will include any applicable single supplements or bike hire costs. Normally. unless otherwise requested, we collect the wine kitty monies on the tour itself. Contact us with your specific requirements.

Eroica Bike Tour Food & Wine

Tuscan cuisine is characterised by its close association with the land. The unique language of the ancient Etruscans may have all but disappeared but their earthy cuisine lives on in Tuscany. Simplicity is the key to Tuscan cuisine that reflects the region’s peasant traditions and changing seasons. You’ll get plenty of chance to experience the essence of Tuscan gastronomy on the Eroica tour with the rest stops renowned for their novel approach to cycling nutrition. Where else on a cycling sportive would you be offered Ribollita, a hearty soup based primarily on stale bread, cabbage and cannelloni – Tuscan white beans – which is the essence of peasant fare? If you prefer something a little lighter then you could always sample Panzanella – a unique a bread salad with tomato and basil. Our personal favourites on the ride though are the salami and bruschetta that are moreish in the extreme!

On the wine front again you won’t be disappointed when it comes to the Eroica rest stops – yes they serve wine! Home to many great wines, Tuscany is the great rival to Piedmont for the mantle of being Italy’s premier wine area. The Tuscans certainly believe that they are deserving of the honour and with Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the ‘Super Tuscans’ all produced in the region they clearly have a strong case. In the lead up to the Eroica event we will visit our friends vineyard in Montalcino for a Brunello wine tasting as well as exploring the Chiantigiana where a lunch time tipple is almost obligatory.

Molinello pizza – photo taken by Marco Pullia

Il Molinello – our Accommodation

Il Molinello is a family run agriturismo – ‘farm stay’- which is situated in the heart of the enchanting crete sensi. Our hosts, Sandro and Elisa, established the business back in 1996 and it has been a labour of love since then. With the help of their 3 kids – Emma, Guido and Bernardo – as well as Sandro’s parents –Mauro and Paola – they provide a wonderful cultural immersion into Tuscan life through their warm hospitality and dedication to the Slow Food movement.

This alignment to the Slow Food movement is encapsulated by their commitment to sustainable organic farming, bio-architecture, renewable energy – they are energy independent – and the local products that they have used to restore the apartments. On a practical level this is exemplified through Elisa’s cooking and Sandro’s qualifications as a sommelier and olive oil expert.

We look forward to introducing you to this wonderful place whose rustic character so effectively combines agriculture and tourism in a manner that the original ‘agriturismo’ philosophy always sought to achieve. With its Etruscan origins and world class cycling on the doorstep we think Il Molinello is the perfect centre based tour option for exploring the wonders of the region and living an authentic Tuscan experience.

Written by Australian expat Isabelle Dusi, this book is slightly different from most of its genre in that the author had already been in Montalcino for a number of years before she wrote it. Slow in parts this book nonetheless provides a charming account of Tuscan village life.

Isabella Dusi, Vanilla Beans & Brodo

Written by tour guide Dario Castagno this book provides a humourous insight into some of the extreme situations he has found himself in. Heavy on anecdotes about tourists you hope you’ll never encounter, this book, whilst slightly shallow, is still a good read.

Finding a book that focuses on Tuscany and the Romans is hard given the all encompassing nature of their empire. As an overview of Roman influence in Tuscany though the Blue Guide does a great job. Be warned it contains over 500 pages but as a definitive guide of the region it is hard to beat.

Alta Macadam, Blue Guide – Tuscany

Iris Origo’s book is a classic that is written in diary form. With an immediacy that only a diary can give, this chronicle of daily life during the Second World War is powerful in its simplicity. In light of the affluence of the area today this book presents an insight into an altogether less fortunate era.

Iris Origo, War in Val D’Orcia – An Italian War Diary 1943-44

Tuscany History

Named after the Etruscans, one of its original inhabitants, Tuscany or Toscana in Italian corresponds closely geographically to ancient Etruria. The Etruscans, known mostly nowadays for their impressive tomb sites, withstood the inevitable Roman expansion for a century or two until succumbing in the mid 4th century B.C.

Roman rule lasted close to 8 centuries and besides a few minor hiccups (such as Hannibal!) the region flourished. Road networks throughout Tuscany facilitated transport and trade and settlements on the sites of modern Florence, Lucca, Arezzo, Pisa and Pistoia prospered.

After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century BC, and brief occupations by the Byzantines and Ostrogoths, Tuscany became a Lombard duchy (6th-8th cent. A.D.), with Lucca as its capital. Charlemagne destroyed the Lombard kingdom and the Frankish Empire ruled from the 8th to the 12th century. Castles, Monasteries and Abbeys were built, many surviving today, and many of the towns developed into communes independent of the Holy Roman Empire.

The rivalry between these communes in Trade and war was intense and after a period of Pisan dominance in the 11th to 13th centuries Florence became the foremost city in Tuscany. The relative peace that followed, initially ruled over by the Medici, was the catalyst for the prolific artistic style that identifies the area today and is known as the Renaissance period. This period marked great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe.

After the Medici, Tuscany was ruled by the Austrian Dukes of Lorraine. The Dukes of Lorraine modernized and developed the area but in 1861 Tuscany voted in favour of annexation to a united Italy. Florence was briefly, prior to Rome, capital of the kingdom of Italy from 1865 to 1871.

Sunset on Siena – photo taken by Antonio Cinotti

A once in a lifetime experience. It was challenging, but fun, a great festival and full of nostalgia and atmosphere. James our guide on the day was incredible and the food and wine were superb along with Ride and Seek’s knowledge of all things Italian. My biggest worry was Anne-Maree as a non rider, in terms of what would she would do whilst I was riding. The way she was included in the group made the trip an unforgettable experience for us both. Thanks again Dylan to you and your colleagues, it was a special ride.

Dave – L’Erocia & Tuscany

I didn’t fully understand what I was in for, but the tour far surpassed my expectations. The rides leading up to the event, visiting Nostra Vita, the vintage bike preparations, the vintage shopping in Gaiole, our top-notch accommodation at Agriturismo Molinello, and the professionalism of the Ride and Seek crew, made this week one of my all-time favorites. I’ll be coming back next year!

Sarah R – L’Erocia & Tuscany

The Trip

Join us on a ride of historical proportions and take your chance to be part of one of the world’s greatest cycling events - L’Eroica (literally, ‘The Heroic’).